Topic: 500/550/650's that followed me home

[rb550four]

Excellent ! That is the first project for spring then. Almost sounds too easy to be amazing, but I can see it in my head and can hardly wait to see it for real.  Thank you. next spring I want to do one thing that is both beautiful and amazing to start the season right. Can hardly wait!

[rb550four]

  I just realized that I ve been Honda purchase free since September of 2018.
That's 2 years in human time! 14 years in dog time> Feeels allot like dog time to me.
That 10 step program we were on really worked! Nothing new around here....and boy I have been miserable too... Have to make  reasons to go out to the shop ...... The wheels on my trailer is probably all seized up......I can see my reflection on all my tools. This is supposed to be a good thing ,right?  Someone  please remind me just what the hell is the good part.

[rb550four]

  I've been reflecting on my last post, this 10 step program for guys with bikes that must have a problem because they may have a count of machines a little above the average, and it takes up all their time and spare change. I was thinking that something could be wrong too, so many machines with no end in sight of slowing down and what a waste that I couldn't find the time to ride but only 3 of them. Well, my confusion is over. I now see the path, and numbers don't mean a damn thing if it makes you feel whole. Life is real short and if we all could find that one thing that makes us happy every time we see one,hear one and smell one, then why should we deprive ourselves having only one. Why can't we have as many as we need to be as happy as we could be? Now that I have seen the light brothers and sisters, I will stake up the "Numbers don't matter" sign on my front lawn and display it proudly, hook up the trailer and search  Craig List for a new project....maybe a half dozen new projects and stand proud. Let no one tell you that you shouldn't , challenge what makes them complete and ask then why do you have so few? Be free from the number. A wise man once said " I never count my machines,one day it could be too many but the next day could be too few!" And find the strength and wisdom to be true to yourself.  That feels good! I'm going out to the garage and walk on some rice paper and see if I leave no tracks.

[RAFster122s]

Pretty funny RB... Hope you are feeling better and have left no tracks, walking on a cloud... Are you full of helium or hydrogen to be lighter than air? 
I seem to be gaseous sometimes but I don't know if methane is lighter than air... Haha

Maybe you should go to the theater and spend some time cleaning and waxing the stable of bikes... Might improve your mood.

[rb550four]

 No, not a gas kind of thing. The walking on rice paper was a thing in a  kung fu t.v. show thing that was on way back in the day. David Carridine was a 1/2 Chinese and 1/2 American student of kung fu in China in the mid to late 1800's , much like I am a student of motorcycle art of kung fu kinda thing. Sort of, but not to be confused with the Zen of motorcycling. There has been much to learn Grasshopper said the Master and I was feeling learned, thus the walking on rice paper to test my new enlightenment to see if I had learned enough to leave no trace sounded like the thing to do.. Didn't have rice paper, so newspaper had to do. No trace but how do you get ink out of socks? Who cares ,it matches the oil stains that I still haven't got out of my jeans.
  I took your advise David and went to the theater, but they were all polished during the Covid shutdown. Fortunately there is a GL1100 that has been in the corner since I got it years ago that was in need of not looking so ugly. I took today and cleaned that bad boy up to presentable condition. Felt good.  Now I'll have to change the belts and clean out the fuel system, carbs, Change all the fluids and waterpump then it should be something worth riding next summer.
  Oh , I'm a Grandfather this time ! My youngest daughter just had a boy. Everybody happy. Will be heading down to Pittsburgh sometime  to see the little guy and work on their house a little when I get antsy. But there is a Harley in the basement with the widest tire I ever saw on a bike, it's a newer custom machine with a nitrous oxide tube built into each side of the tank. It's a beauty but isn't running. An electrical issue I suppose. They knew a guy who said he knew Harleys , he tried to jump it but had the cables reversed. Genius right? Tried to start it til something got to smoking ,now nothing works. Maybe I should bring it home and fix it/ play with it/ change that rear tire/ ride it / and play with it some more. I was never a Harley guy but this one looks interesting to me.

[rb550four]

  I didn't have enough room in my last post.
 I had to get a picture of that tire. How freakin hard is this machine to drive? Thinking a different tire is in order here.

[SOHC4 Cafe Racer Fan]

+1
I don't get the dark-side (car) tires on motorcycles.  I suppose you get great straight line traction and mileage, but MUCH worse cornering than Firestones.

[rb550four]

  I don't know if it's possible to lean into a corner, that tire is so wide on that bike that it almost doesn't has no need for a kickstand. This whole thing baffles me, What do you think the point of building something like this is?

[Kelly E]

  I don't know if it's possible to lean into a corner, that tire is so wide on that bike that it almost doesn't has no need for a kickstand. This whole thing baffles me, What do you think the point of building something like this is?

It's because some knucklehead did it and then had to convince another knucklehead that it is cool to justify himself.

[rb550four]

 Sounds about right, there's a market for anything, but somebody's mind should have changed on a test ride I would think. This machine has a couple years on it and I think it has only something like 125 miles on it.
Perhaps a sidecar would give that machine enough stability to be safe to ride?

[SOHC4 Cafe Racer Fan]

  I don't know if it's possible to lean into a corner, that tire is so wide on that bike that it almost doesn't has no need for a kickstand. This whole thing baffles me, What do you think the point of building something like this is?

It's because some knucklehead did it and then had to convince another knucklehead that it is cool to justify himself.

It's a whole "thing" in the Gold Wing culture.

[rb550four]

  Do you mean to tell me car tires on a Goldwing is a popular "thing"? What would be the point ? Disable rideability on a touring machine because somebody thinks it looks cool? That's a "thing"?

[rb550four]

  I just Googled darksiders and car tires on goldwings.        It IS a "thing"!    Don't even know what to think about the whole thing , I feel like I musta been living under a rock ,had no idea this could be real. I can't condemn it because I haven't tried it, but I don't know if I want to try it since I think it unusual and not engineered for a motorcycle.  Yet, I can see a track and skis on a bike easier than a car tire . But if that's the case why just stop at a car tire when you could have a truck tire, and if you can handle a truck tire, why not set the bike up for duallies on the back. Sure it would be allot harder to do, but anything worth thinking about might be worth doing .yeah? No!  All done thinking about that stuff , Thanks for the "heads up". I 'll get the tire and rim size off that machine in Pittsburgh and see if there is a "normal type motorcycle tire" that is available for that rim so it can get more miles on it after the repair.
  Those 2 tubes of nitrous oxide on the tank, why would anybody..... nevermind.

[RAFster122s]

Dually on rear as in trike is a thing...seen at least one or two.
The handling in corners would be bad enough that you are almost restricted to grid city streets. Can you imagine trying to ride it up a series of switchbacks on a winding mountainous area? You cannot ride through the corners fast as it won't lean and stability is shot and you are still going to have G forces trying to fling you towards the outside of the corner and you cannot lean into the corner so that angular force is going through the seat to the bike. Uh, hard No!
Drag racing might be it's only real use. Put a monster wide rear MC tire on it, if you can redesign the brakes and rear end to accept a reasonable setup.

[rb550four]

 I was thinking that it would solve a bunch of issues  by just changing out that rear tire to something like this.

[rb550four]

  I crawled out from under that rock again. Looked up duallie trikes,oh my, I kinda like it.

[rb550four]

 Then I saw this. this would never be in any of my plans, but somebody thought it might be a good idea.

[rb550four]

  I'm back from Pittsburgh. That Harley I went to look at wassn't a Harley at all . It was a '97 Bourget Python  chopper , with and  a factory numbered anniversary edition S and S Engine.  Interesting machine. It will take a fat  240 mm motorcycle tire replacement for that goodyear car tire.  I was wrong about the mileage  it had 74 miles on it not 125...Paint is perfect ,  actually feels comfortable to sit on.
   The good is that it hasn't been run in forever , the bad is the usual tank cleaning and carb cleaning stuff. everything else is free and in need of fresh oil,  fresh grease , and brake fluid for the rear brake  and a good cleaning and wax when the rest is done.
   Took a look at the wiring  , nothing smelled burned except the battery who ever jumped it did a great job, melted the post right off the battery. there is a $10  relay just North of the battery which will get changed out  to be sure nothing past the battery was damaged and of course a new battery is in order. Didn't have time to check the charging system or ignition switch and I didn't take it home this time , but I suspect it will be here early this spring.
 

[RAFster122s]

  I crawled out from under that rock again. Looked up duallie trikes,oh my, I kinda like it.

Needs seating much lower so it has that "Big Wheel" kids trike look down pat...

[rb550four]

I think that 3 wheeler was a Paul from OCC build.
  I checked on a rear motorcycle tire for that Python chopper and they are available.
This may be a very busy spring.

[RAFster122s]

RB, bump to revive this one....

[rb550four]

      IT'S SPRING !!!
     
  It's been a long winter and a difficult year all around for everyone .
But in my life , it was a year ago March when we discovered my wife had cancer, just when I was about to go under the knife for the second time since my first operation had failed the year before. Today she is cancer free and is hoping for some plastic surgery to make her feel whole in 2 months. No one said it would be easy, but it was worth it.
  So far I haven't found the cash ,weather of interest to brave the elements in the shop on cold days but , I have been sneaking over to it to polish  and keep the batteries up for spring. All the bikes are pretty clean but of course they will enjoy a little more polishing before being taken out to the road for their first outing in a couple years. Hope I still can remember how to ride, and I am concerned about lost muscle tone though as I'm not as solid as I used to be. Fortunately I have been working jobs for 4hrs a day just to get used to the physical part of construction again so I don't overdo or blow anything out . I think I'm ready to start doing the harder jobs that are coming up now and I'm gonna try to just power through it all until I'm back to full power.
  I've been thinking about that corvette yellow with massive amounts of mini flexs in clear coat to be shot on one of my earlier 550's and I can hardly wait to get started, the tank is sealed and primed quietly waiting . That should make life feel like it's getting back to normal. I have under rated normal , but today, normal is a good thing and I really looking forward to getting back there

[rb550four]

  I was feeling down in the dumps yesterday and thought wouldn't it be nice to be surrounded by my loved ones....
So I drove downtown, hooked up the trailer and hauled 4 of my favorite loved ones home and took each of them for a short ride.
 Feelin' allot better now.

[RAFster122s]

Great to hear that Rich! Good for you!  I look forward to seeing you break out the spray gun and lay down some color and get that micro silver flake to make the corvette yellow reall turn blindingly bright in the sun! You are gonna need a great set of glacier glasses when riding it on sunny days or a magnetic cover to apply to the tank to keep the glare down...

[rb550four]

 David , I can hardly wait to hit those colors  and feel like there's some normality happening, but it's still cold too at night around here to shoot it in the shop just yet. I'm thinking it will take a couple hours just to shoot the color corvette yellow so it can dry overnight . I expect the micro flake and clear  coats to take the better part of another day just to shoot. I am only talking tank and  side covers, no fenders because the chrome is good.....but I may have some other fenders with poor chrome that I could paint , hadn't really thought that far in advance yet. and I do have an old fiberglass skinny fender that might look nice with that color, what to do?   I'm on the fence about the headlight bucket though. Maybe I should just do the headlight while I'm at it. If it's too much I can always switch back to a black bucket.                                           
The tank  has been a dilemma in my mind because I might like this new paint so much that I won't want to blacken and stripe the sides of it , but how will I know until the clear is on?  Then. what happens if I do blacken the sides and realize that the 500/550 trademark blacked sides doesn't look that good or would look so much better with the metal flake on that too?
 The stripes I could put on after the flake coats have been applied and clear coat (no flake) over that to keep them leaving clean lines.....but do they really need to be clean? Would it be more coherent with flake on them  too or would it be better to separate the two with a no flake clean line or double line?  Painting won't happen until at least the end of the month for sure so there is time to make ready for the plan , whatever it will be.
 Any input is welcome.